he ground was
difficult and the batteries known to be numerous. This route, you
will observe, is to the north and right of the lakes. The
reconnoissances of the engineers were consequently directed to this
end. In the meantime General Worth, whose division had been left at
Chalco, while General Scott, with Twiggs, had gone to Ayotla, sent
Colonel Duncan with a large party to examine the denounced route.

"Colonel Duncan found it just the reverse of what it had been
pronounced to be; it was firm, rocky, and quite practicable,
requiring, to be sure, a little labor here and there. General Worth
instantly sent Colonel Duncan with this information to General
Scott, and urged the movement of the whole army to the left of Lake
Chalco. The direct attack was abandoned, and on the morning the
whole army was in motion."

Owing to a letter written by General Taylor to General Gaines, which
was intended to be private and confidential, finding its way into the
New York Morning Express, the Secretary of War issued the following:

"WAR DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON, _January 28, 1847_.

"The President of the United States directs that paragraph 650 of
the General Regulations of the Army, established the 1st of March,
1825, and not included among those published January 25, 1841, be
now published, and its observance, as a part of the general
regulations, be strictly enjoined upon the army.

"By order of the President.

"W.L. MARCY, _Secretary of War_."

The following is the paragraph referred to and ordered to be
"published":

"Private letters or reports relative to military movements and
operations are frequently mischievous in design, and always
disgraceful to the army. They are therefore strictly forbidden, and
any officer found guilty of making such report for publication,
without special permission, or of placing the writing beyond his
control, so that it finds its way to the press within one month after
the termination of the campaign to which it relates, shall be
dismissed from the service."

Upon the appearance in print of the two letters referred to, the
commanding general issued the following:

"HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY,

"MEXICO, _November 12, 1847_.

"GENERAL ORDERS No. 349.

"The attention of certain officers of this army is recalled to the
fo